Healthcare Marketing: What's Actually Working on Social Media

Transcript is auto-generated from the episode audio and lightly edited; it may contain small errors.

So there's a report that says over 80% of internet users age 18 to 49 seek health information on social media platforms. I think that's super annoying to our healthcare professionals, but we can't say we don't — everyone's looking on ChatGPT for their diagnoses these days. So I don't think this is surprising.

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What's interesting is that 60% of doctors state that social media has positively influenced the quality of patient care they provide, and I think they would also say social media is really important to them and their marketing. What's interesting is that this presents a gap between what healthcare professionals and the healthcare industry overall believe about social media marketing and what they actually do. Because when you look at social media profiles for dentist's offices, and even aesthetic practices — I think it's more true in dental and primary care — it's a lot of graphics, and maybe pictures of holiday parties or something that happened, group pictures, it's kind of more bulletin-boardy. And it doesn't seem intentional, it doesn't seem like it's being used for marketing — it's the pictures of their team and staff interacting with each other outside the office. It's fun to an extent, but that's for their staff, that's not for their customers. And then the graphics — we can talk about what graphics do and don't do, most don't work on social media. The information could be great, but it's just presented in a way that doesn't connect. There's a difference between hosting versus marketing, and that's what we want to talk about today.

We focus on providing cross-industry insights on this podcast, and today we're going to focus on healthcare in particular, but this really pertains to multiple industries — so if you're in another industry, this will pertain to you too. But if you're in the healthcare industry, listen up, because this is really important, especially if you consider yourself in the 60% and you feel like social media marketing is important.

And when you say healthcare, can we define that a little bit, because it's healthcare and it's healthcare-adjacent. So if you're a dentist, if you own a med spa, if you serve patients, particularly private pay — if you have a concierge model, private pay, cash pay, anything where you have a practice and you're selling directly to patients. Even if you interface with insurance a little bit — I think, and even in some of these reports I've been looking at recently, this is pretty well known at this point, but private pay, cash model, concierge, those models are actually growing in the healthcare industry. And marketing is so much more important when you have that model and you're not interfacing with insurance as much. But regardless, at the pace that social media, and especially AI agents, are giving consumers their information, you really can't afford to not have a strong online presence, and specifically a strong social media presence.

So that's what we're talking about today, and we're coming from the background of having served dental practices and aesthetic med spas from a marketing perspective, specifically through video. So that's really the perspective we're taking here. But anything you put on social media, it's all marketing if you're focusing on marketing rather than posting.

So let's get in. Right now, for most social media profiles for healthcare practices — there are some doing a really great job — but when you pull up a social media profile, you're going to see pictures of maybe office parties, or doctors with patients, or the outside of the office. That's really great, but you are missing out on some really important opportunities to build trust with patients if they're finding you online. I want to talk about what that could look like. Some of these can be effective — I've seen a lot of practices start hopping on trends, and those can be really helpful for traffic, because if you're leveraging trending audio, or giving the algorithm what it wants to see and knows your audience will want to see, it's going to put you in front of those viewers. And that's really important. There's a difference between focusing on content that will help patients find you versus getting them to pick you, and you kind of want a balance of both. Especially in healthcare and healthcare-adjacent, the trends are important, but you've got to choose wisely, because at the end of the day you have to be taken seriously — you're a professional, an expert service, you want to be taken seriously, and so you kind of have to put yourself out there seriously, present a good front.

I know a lot of practices want that and think about that. I know a lot of times we roll our eyes at social media — people trying to be social media celebrities, that's not what we're advocating for. And I think a lot of professionals who take themselves seriously, who should take themselves seriously, feel disingenuous putting themselves on a platform like social media, because it just feels cheap. We run into that a lot with a lot of our clients — we had probably three conversations about it this week, and I know I've felt those things before too. But it's the society we live in, it's the way information is transmitted, and you kind of just have to do it, and it can be hard, but there's people who know how to help. When you do it, I think you'd be surprised at how people start taking you seriously, and they aren't rolling their eyes when they see it — do you roll your eyes at every single person that scrolls past your feed? It's a communication piece, and leveraging it as a communication piece is where the value is. So if your patients are already getting their information from social media, why not give them the valuable information you can provide? I'm not saying give medical advice on social media, but give them a reason to trust your medical advice so they come to you.

We talked a little bit about how patients are already using social media as a search engine, and even if they aren't searching, it's informing their decisions. When healthcare professionals and practice owners think about marketing, they're thinking about reviews, they're thinking about SEO for their website, they're thinking about referrals from patients or from other practices, they might be thinking about ads — and all of those are really important. However, we're starting to see more discovery happening on social media, and even if someone's not going on social media with the intention of, I need to find a new dentist or a new med spa, they're still stumbling on content that's starting to build that trust with them. Even if it's not local, they're already starting to form an opinion, an idea of what they want in a provider — and if you're not doing that, you're missing the opportunity to start building that trust. And it's not an immediate thing — anyone in marketing can tell you, you need multiple touch points, sometimes dozens. That's a misconception a lot of people go into, thinking, I'm going to post this reel and it's going to spread my business, it's going to make the whole world aware that I exist. But it's not — you've got to be consistent. That's a single touch point, that's a great start — do it again 50 times, and then now the person that's seen it, and the algorithm has served your content over and over, you're the expert in their head.

The way social media works is we build parasocial relationships with characters online — because relationship almost isn't the right word, since a relationship is two-sided. When someone starts learning from someone online, even finding their content entertaining, they start seeing them as a person, someone they see themselves in, or start trusting, and they start believing what they say simply because of the repetition, the exposure, the likability they're starting to form. That's just how social media works, for better or for worse, and leveraging the positive aspect of that from a professional standpoint, in providing education or even what to expect when you show up at our practice, and talking about your staff and the unique aspects of the way your staff works together, can be really helpful. You want your social media strategy focused on building that connection.

Going back to how people approach typical healthcare marketing with reviews and traffic — I think a lot of practices have great reviews, but that's kind of the standard now, it's not exceptional anymore, that's how people get on your website, how people find you, it's not really the decision-maker for people anymore. But social media has the potential to be the decision-maker for consumers, it's just so much stronger.

When we work with our clients, tell us the type of content that works really well, especially in social media — someone in the healthcare or healthcare-adjacent industry, what type? This is social media, but it's also content that can go on websites, thinking about online presence a little more holistically. What we're seeing that works really well in terms of connection-building content is patient testimonials. We talked about reviews — there's so much potential in tracking down some of these reviews, these patients who have left reviews for your practice, and filming them talking about their experience. There's a little bit of gray area for HIPAA and confidentiality and privacy, but there's a way to do it where they're just talking about their experience, they left a review, so document the review — I'm not saying just film them saying, oh yeah, it was a great experience, the office staff was friendly. That's not what we want. We want to ask questions that really hone in on what was the emotional experience, what did they feel when they walked into the office, what kind of confidence did they walk away with after the conversation — there are specific questions to ask that protect that privacy but really capture the value they walked away with. They let your patients tell a story, which we know is so important, and it lets them tell a story that knocks down walls and hesitations for other future patients.

I'll give you a really good example — right now, when we're filming this, we're going into the holiday season, and I think for a lot of dentists and med spas, aesthetic practices, the thing a lot of people want to feel around this time is confidence — you want to see your family and friends and feel really confident about your appearance when you see them. So telling that story, telling those patient-experience stories in a way that shares that feeling and that confidence, so other people want to experience that too — there's a way to do that, and featuring it in your social media strategy, especially this time of year, can be really powerful marketing for booking those appointments.

So that's patient testimonials. Another one is doctor profile videos — and this is actually a type of content you definitely want to live on your website too. The amount of trust a patient has to feel in their doctor, in the healthcare professional answering these really important questions for them — imagine how much trust you could have when you understand the tone of voice you're going to be talking to, if you have a list of questions you're going to be asking in this appointment, and especially when there's a lot of doubt someone could be feeling walking into that appointment. The key thing is building trust, and the profile video is a great way to start, because it gives the history, establishes some credibility, shows the thought process and everything else.

And then alongside that is education — bringing in a doctor, dentist, or provider, asking them questions to establish and display their expertise. Even if it's answering something they probably answer every consultation, showing how fast they know the answer, showing that they do know the answer to these even simple questions, builds that much more trust and confidence for a patient going in. And having that education filmed in a way that's platform-optimized, so it's really easy to consume on social media, is really important. You can't get on and hold your phone up and rant for seven minutes about any topic — it's just not going to work. But there's the right way to do it that really connects.

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Patient testimonials, doctor profile videos, education, brand videos — this is actually a great feature on your practice website too. Having a video that encompasses the values, the vision, and the mission of your practice overall, with some features of your patients, so people can identify with the type of people you serve, and get an understanding of what it feels like being in those rooms. This is the video that might feel counterintuitive a little bit — you don't plan on this video getting a lot of views. I think you pin it to the top of your social profile, make it really easy for someone to see. It's not the one that's going to go viral, it's not going to spread like wildfire, but when someone's interested in you, they've connected with you on a different point, and they go to your profile, your website, and they see it — it's got to be done well, it's got to have so much polish to it, it's got to be shot cinematically, because this is where they're encountering your brand for the first time. And especially — they've found all your reviews, your SEO is working because you have great reviews, they found you on Google or Yelp or wherever, and they land on your website and see this brand video — this is the thing that kind of seals the deal. They take themselves seriously, they have a brand that's well put together — little things, all these subconscious things, I know what the inside of the building looks like, I've seen some of the people, they smile, the other patients seem happy. Those are all parts of it, and they're important, they tick subconscious boxes in a lot of consumers' minds. But I just want to stress the polish, because on social media you can get away without a lot of polish on some types of content, and some of it shouldn't be so glam, for strategic reasons — but this needs to look good. There are certain industries where you can't get away without professional video — if you're a professional service, or you provide some sort of expertise, you have to have professional video featured. It's that signal that says, okay, it's a serious business, a serious practice, these are serious people, and that's what you're displaying with that type of video. So you definitely need some polished content.

Another thing we really emphasize is personal content — that's kind of what comes across in those patient testimonials and even in the brand video. And having platform-optimized content — this is where you'd have a trend that you'd film, this is where you might incorporate some humor if it's on brand, or if this is something that could help with your discoverability, help someone find you on social media. So it's a balance — you can't just have humor and trends.

So, in healthcare, what's actually working on social media and why? Doctor profiles — having some key information about the doctors serving patients. Brand videos — something all-encompassing of the practice overall, that's going to make patients feel comfortable being there. Patient testimonials — that connection so people can connect to the type of patients you serve. And education — that's so overlooked as a social media piece, because it's something people find really highly engaging if you produce it in a way that's really engaging, that's really powerful content. And then discoverability, trends, maybe humor, something entertaining. Having a little bit of the polished, personal, and platform-optimized will really enhance your social media marketing, and that will make the difference between just posting versus having a marketing strategy to attract patients. It takes people from the odd view to someone actually engaged and thinking about using your services, and then when they need your services, you're front of mind.

So we've established why it's important — what are the action steps? Someone listening, what can they take away? Look at your social media page right now, or whatever social media platforms you're using — TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook, all of them — and decide if you're actually posting or if you're actually marketing. Another way to think about it is, is it active? Are people coming to your profile for information? Is there education on your profile? Are there opportunities to connect? Is there something that would really shine a light on what your practice stands for, your values, the types of experiences you provide for your patients? If you see those pieces there, you're doing great. If there's some lack there, and you're kind of seeing what we talked about at the beginning — maybe there's just pictures from the parties, or Halloween decorations that were up a couple months ago — there might be a lack of intentionality there. So think through, how could we be more intentional about the content we're showing our patients before they interact? And maybe even think about your current patients, and how you can continue to educate them and nurture them so they continue to build that relationship with you.

Another way I think about it too — when I'm looking for care and I see these platforms, and it's just pictures of office parties or decorations, I feel like a third wheel sometimes. Like, oh, there's a fun vibe between the nurses and the doctors, but I don't know what's going on — it's kind of like when you're in a group of people and then two people start having a conversation, you have no idea what they're talking about, but you're just kind of there, you don't know how to participate. Two really close friends are in the front seat, and you're just kind of hanging out in the back, really wanting to be a part of it — that's what it feels like when you're looking at the profile and that's all you're seeing. They're talking, the content is talking to each other, or to people who are there at the practice in real life, not to people who are online, actually on the other side of the phone. And there's something to be said — keep your company culture, keep it, connect with your employees, that's not what social media is for. Social media is for you to connect with customers — talk to people, not in front of them.

So also look and see if you have credibility content, really polished stuff. If you don't have polished video specifically on your social media, that really needs attention, and that's something we can help you with — there are lots of ways to produce polished video for your social media. If you're a professional expert service, in healthcare, you really need to have a polished presence, it shows that you take yourself seriously, because nobody else can take you seriously if you're not taking yourself seriously. Do you have connection content? Do you have patient testimonial videos? And do you have contextual content — I was using platform-optimized earlier, but even something that's just in context of the season, that could be education. I think sometimes when we think of trends, we think of people dancing in front of the camera — that's not even what I'm talking about. Right now there's a trend I'm seeing all over healthcare marketing, and it's "fact or fiction" — a doctor standing in front of the camera, and someone asking him, fact or fiction, bringing up a topic, and he's like, oh yeah, that's a myth, and then they go to the next one, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, really, really fast. That's a trend, and in 15 seconds, that doctor is now the expert in front of that viewer's eyes.

So what I recommend doing is choosing at least one of those types of content — polished, personal, or platform-optimized — to start with, and then you can have a little bit more of a structured approach to really building that online presence. But it's really important that you do that, especially as we, as consumers, start relying so heavily on social media for our information. Again, it's not ideal, but it's the reality we live in — so if it's there, and it's not going away, leverage it in the most informational, professional, credible way you can, to provide a resource to your patients, because you care about them, and you want to be an excellent resource to them.

So we covered a lot of things today, specifically for healthcare marketing. If you're listening and you're not in healthcare, maybe you're in another industry — even if you are, and you found this information helpful, we'd really appreciate if you could leave some feedback, leave a review for us, subscribe to the podcast. All of these things help us understand what's helping you as a company, as a business, as a practice, and what's serving you. It also helps us reach more listeners so we can continue to do this and continue to be a resource for more businesses. Thanks so much for listening to the Known For podcast, and we'll see you next time.

Known For is a Griffith Media podcast recorded on the volume wall at Big Screen Studios in Dallas, Texas. This episode was produced by the Griffith Media team. Find out more about our agency, how we can help your business grow through marketing, video, and design at www.griffith.media. Or find out more about the studio at bigscreentx.com.